17th World Conference on Tobacco or Health Declarations announced at conference close

Dr Harry Lando, Chair of the WCTOH Organizing Committee, announced eleven declarations of the 17th World Conference on Tobacco or Health.

Thanking delegates, organizers and speakers for their contribution to the success of the conference, he emphasized the significance of holding this year’s conference in Africa for the first time. Dr Fenton Howell from the Department of Health, Ireland, was then invited on stage to announce that the 2021 World Conference on Tobacco of Health will be held in Dublin.

Dr Lando read the official conference declaration before closing the conference:

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We, the participants of the WCTOH, meeting on the African continent for the first time, and delighted that for the first time the WCTOH has a woman as President emphasize that:

The tobacco epidemic represents one of the biggest public health threats that the world has ever faced. Tobacco use kills more than 7 million people each year, and the vast majority of these deaths take place in low- and middle-income countries.

The global economic cost of smoking amounts to nearly 2 trillion dollars and 2 percent of the worlds GDP in 2016.

Tobacco use also undermines sustainable development, imposing a huge burden on the global economy, exacerbating poverty, contributing to food insecurity, and harming the environment.

There is an irreconcilable conflict between the manufacture and marketing of tobacco products and the right to health.

The tobacco industry is a driver of poverty and linked to child labor, violation of workers’ rights, food insecurity and exploitation of farmers. African governments need to take concrete and urgent action to implement alternative livelihoods that are the rich sources of income free from tobacco.

Ending the scourge of tobacco and achieving the SDGs will require urgent action.

Therefore the 17th World Conference on Tobacco or Health affirms the following:

WCTOH 2018 Declarations

We call on governments to unite with civil society to stop tobacco industry interference and accelerate implementation of the WHO FCTC using a whole of government approach.

We urge governments, scientists, research entities, foundations, and civil society organizations to reject or cease engagement with the Philip Morris International-funded Foundation for a Smokefree World and other initiatives of the tobacco industry

We call on African governments to operationalize the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development that recommends increasing tobacco taxes as an untapped, sustainable domestic resource mobilization strategy, for accelerating the implementation of the WHO FCTC in Africa

We call on Parties to actively engage in the development of the WHO FCTC Medium Term Strategic Framework and Plan and to endorse them at the forthcoming eighth session of the Conference of the Parties of the WHO FCTC.